Directive devices for motorists



April 2l, 1959 v. P. DRURY DIREcTivE DEVICES FOR MoToRrsTs l'iled July 27, 1955 mw .www .w www@ l zm% S l. w w

United States Patent O DIRECTIVE DEVICES FOR MOTORISTS Victor P. Drury, Willowdale, Ontario, Canada Application July 27, 1955, Serial No. 524,712

4 Claims. (Cl. 116-134) p This invention relates to directive devices for travelling motorists, and the objects of the invention are:

First.-To provide a device of this class which can be positioned on the hood of a motor car in front of the driver, over a road map, to be used as means to keep before the eyes of the motor driver a clear indication of the direction in which he wishes to travel.

Second.-To accommodate the device so that it will, i

throughout its whole length, exert even pressure on a plurality of sheets of paper placed one upon the other. Thrd.-To provide a particular means, at one or at both ends of the device, whereby it may be removably sure-bar is mounted to have vertical movement therein;

elastic means mounted on said mounting means and adapted to vertically exert pressure against said pressurebar, and a rod movably coupled to said pressure-bar and adapted to be moved to extend directively beyond either side of said pressure-bar, as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Fig. 1 is, in part, a side elevation of the preferred form of device resting on a table, one end of the device, and the post supporting the same, being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of the device, wherein the pressure-bar is supported at both ends by a pillar.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5 5, Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 6--6, Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the underside of one of the pillars shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6, except that the magnet, within the bottom part of each pillar shown in Figs. 4 and 6, is shown fully.

In the drawings like characters of reference refer to the same parts.

In the preferred form of this device only one pillar 2 is shown, and through a vertical slot 3 opening through opposing sides thereof extends the end 4 of the horizontal pressure-bar 5, of uniform width throughout its body portion. This end 4 is located above the bottom side of said pressure-bar, and also above the base 6 beyond the foot e of the pillar. This base 6 lies transversely of said pillar 2.

The end 4 is provided with a vertical slot 7 therethrough through which passes the pin 8 shown firmly held in the base 6 and in the head of the pillar 2. The slot 7 is shown large enough to permit tilting action of the pressure-bar.

ICC

Held in aligned pockets a and b formed respectively in the under side of the outer end of the end 4 of the pressure-bar 5, and in the upper side of thebase 6 is a coil spring 9. Formed in the foot e of the pillar 2 is a passageway 10 circular in cross-section. This passageway is in alignment vertically with the opposing sides of said slot 3, which have concave grooves 11 (Fig. 3) vertically formed therein, from and above the top of the foot e. The coil spring 12 is inserted between the grooves 11 when passed (Figs. 1 and 3) through the passageway 10, and while held against the top of the pillar 2 the end 4 is passed through the slot 3 so that ultimately the spring 12 may rest against said end in alignment with the foot e of the pillar 2 to the right of the pin 8, and normally hold the said end against the said foot e, at times.

By pressing down on the end 4 of the pressure-bar 5 and compressing the spring 9, the pressure-bar 5 may be tilted up above the paper (not shown) placed on the table or support c.

The lower end of the slot 3 opens from the top of the foot e of the base 6 which foot lies above the top side of said base. This foot acts as a fulcrum on which said end 4 is rocked to tilt the pressure-bar 5.

It will be understood that the function of the spring 9 is to effectively maintain the free end of the pressure-bar 5 positively in contact with the paper or map (not shown), whereas the function of the spring 12, which is calibrated to be about one-third stronger than the spring 9, is to assist the spring 9 in maintaining the said pressure-bar uniformly throughout its length in contact with the paper or map under the device. Obviously, for example, if a road map be folded into more than one layer, and placed under the pressure-bar 5, the compression of the spring 12 will be increased, and the spring 9 will be correspondingly extended; but under all possible conditions of use of this device these springs will cooperate as set forth.

Pivoted on the pressure-bar 5, as at d, and preferably to, be moved through a slot 13 formed preferably centrally longitudinally of said pressure-bar 5, is a rod 14. When this rod is moved over the face of a road map into the position desired by the driver of the car with relation to a given section of the map, it will act as a directive for the driver, movable as required, of a steady character, readily seen by the eye without strain notwithstanding the incessant jarring, of greatly varying degrees, a motor car is at all times subjected to.

As shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, the rod 14 can be readily moved around its pin d, to the left and to the right, thus covering a wide area of a road map.

A tab 15 is carried by the rod 14 so that the rod may be readily taken hold of by the user. For this purpose, the tab extends above the pressure-bar.

If it be desired to permanently or temporarily hold the base 6 on a support, any suitable means may be employed, and as such means are not germane to this form of the invention none have been disclosed.

In Fig. 4 a modiied form of the device is shown in which there are two pillars 2', one at each end of the pressure-bar 5. Each pillar 2 is centrally longitudinally provided with a vertical chamber 3 (Fig. 5) which opens through the inner side thereof into a chamber 16 formed in the bottom portion of each pillar 2'.

Each end of the pressure-bar 5 is provided, one at each side thereof, with a pair of aligned vertical grooves 17 in each of which is held an arm 18 of the plate 19 which closes the open side of said chamber 16. The arms 18 are spaced apart and are fastened against the vertical shoulders 20 formed when vertical grooves are cut in the face of the pillars 2 down each side of the mouth of the vertical chamber 3 in each of said pillars. These arms are flush with the outer face of said pillars. By means of assase saidconstructionthe extremities 22 ofthe ends ofthe pressure-barA 5i are heldA in.l said pillars to f be f vertically movable therein, and yet with enough longitudinal play.

Mounted within each chamber 3' of a pillar 2', and extending in'tofconca've groovesi 3 in the'A walls-of the chamber 3f, is ya coil springtlZf. These springs 'rest on the: extremity 22 of`eachi pressure-barA 5,', behindv the arms 18,` and contact the top closedtend of eachcham'- ber13.

Mounted within each chamber 16 is any suitable magnet 23 (Fig. 8). The body of this magnet is :located inspaced relation to the lloor 24 of the chamber 16 so thereby preventing it from dropping out of said chamber andyet allowing enough rocking movement so ythat the feet 25 thereof will be accommodated to the curvature of-the surface of the hood portion of the motor car (in irontofthe driver) the device may be placed on.

The feet or projecting parts 2S of the magnet 23 extend through slots 26 formed in and near each end ofthe floor 24, vand each foot may haveat its rear side a shoulder127 formedby removing a certain portionof each foot at lits rear side, above its sole, to equal the depth of the floor 24 so that the shoulder 27 of each foot will rest in contact with the rear part of each floor 24 and thus prevent the magnets from being pulled out of position when the device is carelessly removed from a metal support.

The pressure-bar 5' is also provided with a directive in the vform of a rod 14 pivoted thereto.

Obviously the springs 12' are calibrated to be of equal strength, and therefore the pressure exerted thereby against the ends of the pressure-bar 5 will permit of the uniform rise and fall of said pressure-bar, in use.

It will be clearly understood that if the device is to be used as a paper Weight only, it may be made without the directive rod 14.

Various changes in the construction herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of this disclosure and the scope of the claims made thereunder.

The embodiment of the invention in which 'an exclusive property or privilege is claimed is dened as follows:

bar, and a rod movably coupled to said pressure-bar at thewcentre ofsaid-trodandadapted to be `used directively beyond either side of said pressure-bar.

2. A directive device ofthe class described comprising a vertical pillar having a vertical slot therein opening through opposing sides thereof, and further provided with a base lying transversely thereof, the foot of said pillar lying on the top side offsaidbase; a pressure-bar having a slotted end which lies in a plane above the bottom side of said pressure-bar and passes through the' vertical slot in said pillar and normally rests in contact with said foot and in vertical spaced relation to said base; a coil spring held in the vertical slot in contact with the portion of said pressure-bar held in said Vertical slot in said pillar and vertically in alignment with said foot; a vertical rod in the slot -in said portion of the pressure-har and carried by said pillar and said base; a coil spring of lesser power than the said other spring, held between the outer end ofsaid slotted end ofsaid'pressure-bar and the said base, and a directiverodrmovably coupled to said pressure-bar and` adapted to be used directively beyond eitherside of said pressure-bar.

3. The combination vas set forth in claim 2 characterizedin that the pressure-barl is longitudinally provided with a slot in which is pivotally mounted the said directive rod.

4.A device to temporarily hold down a plurality of sheets of paper consisting of la horizontally-disposed pressure-bar, one end at least thereof occupying a higher plane than the bottom portion of said pressure-bar; a verticalfchambered pillar located near one end of said pressure-bar in which one end of said pressure-bar has verticalmovement, and elasticl means carried by said pillar and adaptedto rest 'in contact with the end of said pressurelbar in said pillar to maintain the free end of the pressure-bar incontact with the paper or map the device is placed on.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,569,090 Johnson Jam 12, 1926 1,851,770 Johnson -t Mar. 29, 1932 2,101,220 Kiser Dec. 7, 1937 2,553,668 Moreno May 2z, 1951 2,706,659 Landis t r. Apr. 19, s 2,800,078 Lightboum July 23, 1957 

